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Hasbro adds Rey to Star Wars Monopoly after fan backlash

Hasbro has confirmed that they will be adding Rey to their Star Wars Monopoly set following extensive fan criticism.

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The company initially claimed that the character's exclusion was down to spoilers -- by revealing Rey as a main character, says the company, they would have ruined the film for many cinema-goers. Instead, the set featured stormtrooper Finn and Kylo Ren from the Force Awakens, and classic figures of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. It is not yet known which character Rey will be replacing in the updated set, though Hasbro have said it will happen "later this year".

The hashtag "#WheresRey" trended for several days as fans complained about the omission of the female lead.

"When marketers exclude female characters, it sends a message loud and clear: girls don't matter," said one user. Hasbro has said that they "love the passion for Rey" fans had exhibited and promised to rectify the set as soon as possible. "The Star Wars: Monopoly game was released in September, months before the movie’s release, and Rey was not included to avoid revealing a key plot line that she takes on Kylo Ren and joins the Rebel Alliance," said a spokesperson for Hasbro. "Fans will see more Rey product hitting store shelves this month, including 6-inch and 12-inch Rey action figures. We are thrilled with the popularity of this compelling character and will continue to look for ways to showcase Rey across all of our product lines."

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It's not the only time Disney merchandise has failed to reflect diverse casts -- American retailer Target has also come under fire for failing to stock Rey toys, instead selecting a generic Resistance pilot as their toy of choice. And Black Widow has been relegated to the background or not acknowledged at all in many sets of Avengers: Assemble toys.

The issue of women in the Star Wars universe has been fairly prominent since the release of the Force Awakens. Men's rights website Return of Kings encouraged fans to boycott the films due to the female main character and casting of black actor John Boyega as stormtrooper Finn. The campaign spectacularly failed to make a dent, however -- Force Awakens has currently made over £1billion globally, and is currently standing as the second most successful film of all time.